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Enrollment and academic workforce decisions shaped by affordability and labor costs
Recent labor actions and compensation analyses underscore how affordability pressures and institutional budget volatility are feeding decisions about staffing, program scope, and faculty...
Faculty pay and labor actions—strikes spotlight bargaining limits
Faculty pay and labor negotiations moved back to the center of campus politics this week as two major faculty strikes advanced in opposite regions of the country. At New York University,...
Public colleges expand power to cut programs and terminate faculty
Kentucky’s Senate advanced a bill that would make it easier for public college boards to terminate faculty for broadly defined financial reasons, including when programs or majors have low...
TRIO Talent Search redraws workforce emphasis—threat to college access scope
The Trump administration’s competitive grant design for TRIO’s Talent Search program is shifting workforce development to the forefront, triggering pushback from advocates who say it could narrow...
State boards weigh campus downsizing—possible branch closure and layoffs
Walla Walla Community College (WWCC) in Washington moved closer to restructuring decisions as its governing board considered a plan to cut $4.3 million from its budget. Trustees discussed...
AI literacy infrastructure at universities—Old Dominion launches MonarchSphere
Old Dominion University is operationalizing AI literacy rather than treating it as a standalone workshop topic. With National AI Literacy Day spotlighting student readiness, ODU launched...
AI and academic research—policy pressure to tax university tech transfer
A former Trump official renewed scrutiny of university technology transfer by arguing that proposed “R&D taxes” on university licensing income would discourage innovation and undermine federally...
Faculty-student assessment and instruction—grade inflation debate resurfaces
A new critique argues that the “grade inflation” framing misses the deeper problem: students arriving at college with weaker capabilities and colleges’ limited ability to bridge that gap. The...
Teacher pipeline and workforce signaling—Talent and labor market alignment
Federal workforce signaling is increasingly influencing how educator access programs are designed, and Talent Search changes are part of that shift. Advocacy groups argue that when workforce...
Student success interventions—adolescent literacy support beyond early grades
A webinar-focused intervention model argues that literacy support must extend beyond early elementary instruction. The program centered on what to do when students reach sixth grade still reading...
AI learning in schools—teachers seek usable classroom use cases
Teachers still want practical, instructional answers about generative AI, according to research capturing educators’ classroom-centered questions. In fall 2024 discussions facilitated by EdSurge...
Faculty pay and labor actions intensify amid mounting budget strain
Two major faculty strikes highlighted the growing pressure on higher-ed budgets and the widening gap between faculty pay and institutional leadership compensation. New York University’s...
Public college governance expands tools for faculty termination
Kentucky’s Senate advanced a bill that would give public college boards more flexibility to terminate faculty for broadly defined financial reasons, including low enrollment in specific majors or...
Community college targets layoffs and possible branch campus cuts
Walla Walla Community College’s governing board is weighing a budget-cut plan that could include 43 layoffs and downsizing or closing its Clarkston satellite campus. The college is considering...
TRIO Talent Search shifts emphasis toward workforce pathways
A new federal competition for TRIO’s Talent Search program elevates workforce development and apprenticeship-linked credentials, a change that some advocates say could narrow college access for...
AI literacy initiatives expand in higher education through industry partnerships
Old Dominion University launched an AI incubator, MonarchSphere, to operationalize AI literacy through a structured partnership model with students, faculty, and industry. Using the spotlight of...
Data center power demand deepens grid modernization debate
A new Senate bill proposed to shield consumers from rising data center electricity costs, but a critique argues that the real driver is a strained and underbuilt power grid rather than the data...
AI writing support in college: study finds students still steer the process
A pilot study at Kennesaw State University using think-aloud protocols suggests undergraduate writers are not simply outsourcing composition to AI tools, but instead make active decisions during...
Accessibility compliance deadline pressure mounts for universities’ public digital content
A compliance deadline under ADA Title II’s web accessibility requirements is approaching for government entities that include state universities and community colleges. The guidance notes a key...
University leadership change: Babson names a new business school dean
Babson College named Kate Klepper as the new dean of its F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business, replacing Keith Rollag, who returned to the faculty after serving as dean since 2018. Klepper will...